When you ask people to name their favorite soup, I’ve found that the answer is often, “That Zuppa Soup”. I’d never made this soup even though I often heard about making it and I’ve enjoyed it at the Olive Garden. My mom, friends and co-workers all talked about the ease of making this soup and they raved about the flavor.

Recently, on a whim, I invited some friends over for dinner and picked up the ingredients for this soup to go along with Parmesan Chicken. When they arrived, I hadn’t started cooking yet. My friend let me know that she was an expert at “That Zuppa Soup”, and that she would make it while I made the chicken.

She decided that she would double the recipe due to the amount of people we would be feeding. She started out by chopping a mountain of potatoes. From there, she browned the sausage and then it came together quickly. It was done at the exact time I finished the chicken.

The combination of potatoes, spinach, onions, garlic and red pepper flakes creates a savory, spicy comfort food flavor that is hard to beat. Pair it with some crusty French or Italian bread. We thoroughly enjoyed it that night and the leftover soup got even more flavorful as the days passed.

As we wrap up our summer days and soup season begins, give this one a try. From my friend’s and family’s kitchen to yours – enjoy!

That Zuppa Soup

Serves 4-6

6 medium yellow potatoes
1 large onion
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1 T. minced garlic
2 – 32 oz. cartons of chicken broth
Salt & pepper
1 – 10 oz. bag of fresh spinach
1 c. heavy cream
4 slices of bacon (optional)

Chop potatoes (we kept the skin on) and onion. Brown Italian sausage, retain some grease for flavor, but remove any excessive grease. Mix onion in with sausage and sauté until onions are translucent. Add red pepper flakes and garlic and sauté for one additional minute.

Add chicken broth, potatoes, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Boil until potatoes are tender. Stir in spinach and heavy cream. Serve garnished with sliced bacon, if desired.